Cult
by McKnight
Summary: Many were called to both a cult devoted to aiding the Saint Star Children and a faction led by Reda's successor, but few will be chosen for the most prestigious roles.  A new quest shall unfold once Mon World's universe is restored to order.
1. Prologue, part I

**Author's notes: **This is it! While it's too late to commemorate the Japanese starting air date of Mon Colle Knights, this is the 10th anniversary of the U.S. air date of the anime, and what better way to celebrate it (just in time!) than by hosting the fic I've always wanted to write! (Admittedly, I didn't start watching the anime until mid-series, but whatever.)

This fic will assume that the anime begins in September 1996. Despite the age of the game that someone will be playing during the first scene, this (two-part) prologue will take place during the summer of 1997, directly after the events at Kharon. After that, the main part of the story will take place in 1999, two years after the events of the anime.

As far as names go, while some canon characters will be referred to exclusively by their Japanese names (such as Zaha and Count Collection, dubbed Gabriolis and Prince Eccentro respectively) or by their dub names (e.g. Kahimi, originally Utahime), others will be called both depending on who refers to them. For example, I will refer to Rokuna/Rockna as Rokuna because I personally think it sounds better, but most characters (with exceptions) will refer to her as Rockna because I would like to feel like I'm hearing the English dub voices rather than the original Japanese voices. Honorifics will be used minimally as I see fit.

And finally, there's Midori, Rokuna's mother. Her only canonical appearances were twice in the manga (only one panel each), and the name was given to her by the person who wrote the now deleted fic Whisper (which assumed she was dead. Btw, if anyone has a copy of that fic, I'll be glad to have it emailed to me). Given that the manga is (as would be expected) black and white, her hair color is likely ambiguous, though most fans would likely consider it green.

**Special thanks to **Yincira, for all the time she spent and still spends discussing this ficseries with me. No one will find a more hardcore, knowledgable fan of the anime or the franchise than you!

**Disclaimer: **Mon Colle Knights is property of Group SNE. However, I do own Katsuo, Kasumi, David McKnight, the supporting Knights, the Cult of McKnight, the gods, and any other characters or entities not canon to the franchise unless otherwise specified. Please ask for permission if you'd like to include them in your own fics.

* * *

><p>Not too long ago had the events in Kharon come to a climax. The Mon Colle Knights and all their allies had successfully defeated Reda and Oroboros, and the Saint Star Dragon had left behind six new Monster Items to replace the ones that had shattered. The Knights had been excited about having a new adventure about to unfold, except that Shiru had advised them to return to their own world in order to let the gods restore the universe to order. Disappointing as it was, they wasted little time coming to terms with it, understanding that it wouldn't be worthwhile to attempt to connect their own world with one in shambles.<p>

One night, not long after all this had taken place, Mondo was inside a bedroom at the Hiragi residence, lying down on a bed and reading some manga. On the edge of another bed sat a boy playing a video game. He somehow looked like Rokuna, with similar paleness and features. However, his eyes were brown, his hair was black, his outfit was far less innocent, and his demeanor was rather icy, showing no sign of happiness in anything he said or did.

This boy happened to be Katsuo, Rokuna's until-recently separated brother. For years, ever since their mother, Midori, had divorced Ichirobei when they were little, he and Midori had been living in New York City. For a period of time that he lost track of, he had been physically and emotionally abused by kids at the school he was going to, to the point where he snapped and got in trouble with the law.

"Gee! It sure is boring around here!" Mondo said, after Rokuna and Lovestar came into the room.

"Tell me about it," replied Rokuna, as she sat on the edge of the bed and kicked her feet into the air.

"I wonder what Count Collection's been up to! And our friends, too. Beginner, Luke, Kahimi, Pegasus... y'know, everyone!"

"Yeah. I hope the gods will be done soon, fixing up the damage."

"What are you talking about?" said Katsuo.

"You and Mom won't believe us," Rokuna said, "but, while you two were in New York, Dad always took me and Mondo to a place called Mon World."

"It was incredible!" said Mondo. "We would meet all kinds of cool creatures, learn various magic powers, enter sporting competitions, and all that stuff!"

"Yeah, right. Because that pink star you painted on that hamster is so convincing," he said without even looking up. "Maybe if I could go jump into game universes, I could get past these damn monsters by just poisoning the water."

"Say, what is that you're playing anyway?" the girl said.

"Castlevania."

"Oh?"

"The object's to explore this haunted castle and kill Count Dracula."

"Umm... Katsuo?" Mondo joined back in, calmly enough. "Haunted castle? Dracula?"

"That's just what I said," Katsuo confirmed, while briefly showing the screen to Mondo.

Only a second after that line did Mondo spring up from the bed with a short shriek and dash out the door, only to crash into a certain scientist who himself was dashing towards the room.

"Mondo, I've got some great news!" Ichirobei shouted while still knocked over with Mondo on top of him. "Rockna, Katsuo, where are you?"

"I'll bet it has something to do with Mon World!" Rokuna said. Katsuo paused the game and followed her out the door, thinking they might just as well get it over with. Plus, he was curious to hear just how insane his dad was on this "Monster Collection is real" deal.

Outside the two colliders had scrambled up and Ichirobei promptly had run off again, yelling for his wife to come and gather with everyone.

The three children went to the living room and sat down on the couch. It didn't take long before Ichirobei came in, supporting a busty brunette on wobbly legs. Despite the tight, sleeveless cocktail dress, she hadn't come from a party, but from the liquor cabinet. Her long brown hair was even puffier than usual, with strands sticking out at random, indicating she might have been there for a while already.

And indeed, when Ichirobei let her go, she plumped down on the sofa and burst into a fit of giggles. Her rectangular glasses had dropped to the ground, and Rokuna reached down to hand them back.

"Zank you, ur a good daughtur," Midori squeaked as she put the glasses back on.

"Why do you bother picking up her crap, Rockna? Just let her be," Katsuo said.

"Tomorrow night," Ichirobei began, "we'll be going to a very special place! Mondo,  
>Rockna, did you know that there are actually other Mon Colle Knights?"<p>

"Huh?" said Mondo.

"What?" said Rokuna at the same time.

"How could there be other Knights besides us?" said Mondo.

"What the hell are you talking about?" said Katsuo. "Were you in some way associated with that Mon Colle cult?"

"Oh, them? All 'ese years we been abard, an' ye still ha'en't janged uh bit." said the brunette woman.

"Katsuo, Midori, you two just hit the nail on the head!" said Ichirobei. "Mondo, Rockna, I forgot to say this, but I'm a proud friend and colleague of its leader."

"Hold it!" said Katsuo. "I'm damn well aware of that Jonestown and Branch Davidian crap, you think I'm gonna be an idiot and ask them for trouble?"

"Actually," Rokuna assured her brother, "those two cults are just two of the most notorious ones in history because of the way they treated their members. Most cults are nothing like that. In fact, most religions of the world started out as cults, from Judaism and Christianity to Buddhism."

"Yeah," Mondo continued for her. "Me and Rockna have too important a role in the worlds to ever engage in any suicide ceremonies or whatnot."

"Zo, le'ss 'ear wha'ever delusional 'rap yur dad 'asta zay an' ge' it o'ur with," said Midori.

"Right!" continued Ichirobei, "From what I gather, the leader has appointed nine more children, including his daughter, to fight alongside you two from now on, and he has something really special to give you once we get there. Katsuo, we have made arrangements for you to also participate as one of the new Mon Colle Knights."

"Err, what?" replied Katsuo. "You're saying that I've been drafted as some kind of child soldier? What if I refuse!"

"Even if you don't participate, you're still a kid," said Rokuna. "We can't leave you here all by yourself."

"You do realize I came here cause I'm gonna be arrested in New York, right?"

"Oh, don't worry about that. My brilliant mind has thought of everything! We won't be using any public transport that requires showing your passport at all!"

"Yeah, we have a private airplane!" Mondo added.

"And who said Mom's gonna come along?"

"I wunna zee 'a airupleen!" Midori said as she jumped up and nearly toppled over. Ichirobei barely caught her.

The other two also stood up, and Mondo said, "Just give it a try, okay?"

* * *

><p>"Where did Mondo and Rockna just end up?" Katsuo asked, after they already dropped down the trapdoor.<p>

"By now, they should already be inside the Stove Dragon," Ichirobei responded, while holding Midori in his arms.

"Stove Dragon?"

"It's the vessel that we use to go from here to Mon World. Now just take a leap of faith and you'll be inside the ship in no time!"

"Are you kidding? Couldn't you have built a staircase?"

"It's alright, just grab the trapeze once you come down!" Rokuna called up.

Katsuo rolled his eyes and decided to just go along. He jumped in, went down one of the chutes and managed to grab onto the trapeze, to which he clung almost desperately. There was a pretty big drop to the floor.

"Dammit, dammit, dammit, ... " he growled.

Unlike Mondo and Rokuna, he hadn't been used to jumping straight down three whole meters, or performing any of the superhuman stunts that they were capable of, somewhere during which he saw his father, wife still in arms, smack against the wall and drop down into the ship was practised unease. When the trapeze was steady enough, Katsuo followed.

There were two extra chairs in the back, and Katsuo dropped down on the one not occupied by the giddy Midori. He grumbled something and sat back, at which point he noticed something wrong.

His clothes were different from what he was wearing upstairs. While he still had on a red baseball cap and a black leather bracelet with metal studs, he found himself wearing a sleeveless white shirt and black shorts, instead of a black shirt with a misogynistic picture and a pair of tan pants.

"Uhh, what? What happened to what I was wearing?" said Katsuo.

"You can't wear that shirt you had on just a minute ago," Rokuna replied. "Someone pointing a gun at a girl and yelling 'BITCH'? Seriously, you'll sell yourself right out!"

* * *

><p>It took only a few hours for the gang to reach New York City and find a suitable place to park the ship. At this time, it was still broad daylight there, not a good time to be out in the open. Because of Rokuna's sixth sense, more people out on the streets would mean more strain for her. For Katsuo, being too noticeable would increase the odds of someone recognizing him and alerting authorities of his return. Traveling with three people whose hair colors or styles would have drawn attention would not have helped him blend in with the main population. Therefore, they had all taken the opportunity to rest up, let Midori sober up, and wait for nightfall.<p>

"Unnnngggghhhh... Where are we? What are you wearing?" asked Midori when she woke up later in the day, now having a hangover.

"We're in the suburbs of New York City, and this is what I would wear whenever we went to Mon World," said Rokuna as she opened the door leading outside and lowered the staircase.

"Are you kidding me? Now people are gonna notice this thing we're inside—"

"Actually, Mondo used an invisibility spell to keep the ship hidden," said Rokuna, as she helped Midori get up off the floor. "That way, we wouldn't create an uproar upon entering foreign airspace. Now, let me help you outside before you throw up in here."

Mondo and Rokuna were able enough to lift someone their own weight up. A grown woman was a different story, but Midori did at least have enough strength to get up on her feet. Rokuna managed to prevent her from falling down either side of the stairs.

* * *

><p>Come evening, the family had hitched a cab to their destination. The building in question was a massive conference center near the suburbs, a gray building with large glass windows and arches. They had the driver pass the main entrance and drop them off near a small exit to avoid Katsuo being seen. Energetic as always, Mondo was the first to reach the door.<p>

Before he could ring, it was already opened. There stood a bald African-American man in a tuxedo, his eyes hidden by sunglasses.

"So, you must be Mondo Ohya?" the man said.

"You bet! And you a—" Just then, his eyes fell onto a black girl right behind the man. She was of about his age, with breasts only slightly smaller than Rokuna's, and her hair in two flat, crescent-moon-shaped pigtails that came down to her waist. She wore a white top that amounted to little more than a bikini top, and a tight pair of shorts that barely reached below her hips.

Mondo was sold. All of the universe ceased to exist. He darted forward, took the girl's hand and said, "For you, I'd become anything and everything you'd want me to be! Your beau-"

The universe came right back to him when Rokuna hit him with a bolt of Cartoon Physics powered lightning. Scorched, Mondo froze for a few seconds, but then returned to reality as if nothing had happened.

For a minute, this led Midori to wonder if she was still drunk.

"Ohh-kayyy," said Katsuo. "How does a thunderbolt appear when it's not even raining, how did it strike Mondo when we're in the middle of a city, and Mondo, how the hell did you survive it?"

"It's called cartoon physics," answered Mondo. "Let's keep it short and just say it works whenever it's funny, okay?"

A few seconds went by.

"Ichirobei, it's been a long time. Good to see you in person again."

"Great to see you again too!" said Ichirobei.

"Mondo, Rokuna, Katsuo, Midori, I'm David McKnight, and this is my daughter Kasumi.

"Heeey!" Kasumi said, complete with a single twirl, a flick of one of her pigtails and a wink, all in one fluid motion. Mondo almost ignited a second love bubble session, but Rokuna's growl kept him back.

It is an honor to meet you all." He continued his self-introduction with a nod.

"How do you do?" said Rokuna, who bowed to them.

Katsuo simply grunted and crossed his arms. Midori didn't respond at all.

"For those of you who don't know," McKnight started to explain, "we are a cult devoted to the beliefs in Mon World and the worshipping of its six gods. Our religion is called Mon Colle, and we all call ourselves the Mon Colle Knights. Most of us, however, have not and will not see the other world until the bridge between the worlds is formed, but we still have faith in its existence.

"You must be one delusional lot," said Midori. "We all know those are nothing but kid fantasies."

"Dad tells me that he and you wanna make me one of your kid soldiers," said Katsuo. "That better be a joke!"

"Katsuo," McKnight began. "You are a member of the Hiragi family. To let you be a tagalong when they bring you to Mon World would not do any favors at all for your self-esteem. To be able to explore Mon World and fight for it is an honor and a privilege that only a literally select few people will ever get. We are not all about fighting, but if you refuse the responsibility that is due to you, it will be your decision to regret in life. Your father, your sister, and her boyfriend lead very dangerous lives. What if something happened to them, and you were unable to save them because you weren't there or didn't know how to do anything to defend them?"

He paused for a second, before continuing.

"It's your choice and opportunity. Or would you rather they dropped you off at a relative's house while they go on adventures? Please put some thought into it."

A few more seconds of silence passed, before Katsuo made up his mind.

"Well, the only relatives we have are my four cousins and their parents. I never knew my cousins, but I do understand that they're all female, and considering the problems I already had with girls in this part of the world, that might be for the better. So, yeah, maybe I will join you, assuming this other universe thing exists at all. Either way, I'm not gonna be trapped like some fucking animal, and if I end up that way, you will be a dead man. Got it?"

"Thank you. Now everyone, please follow me, and I'll introduce you all to our members after we eat dinner. Rokuna, you're more than welcome to step outside whenever you feel the need to."

"Thanks," said Rokuna, before they headed inside. She then faced Katsuo, sensing an intention from him to kick her in the butt for what she did to Mondo moments earlier.

"I'm not stupid. Let's just go," she said.

"Try anything like that again to Mondo, and I _will_ kick your ass," he replied.

* * *

><p>They were led into a huge, crowded room. There were a number of round tables throughout the room, most made of wood and stainless steel, but there was one in the very center of the chamber, made of pure silver with a golden Rokumon symbol bolted on the top and golden dishes and eating utensils laid out on it. This was the one reserved for the Knights and their family, to honor Mondo and Rokuna's status as the two and only Saint Star Children. It was also agreed upon in that they would be allowed to serve themselves before everyone else did so.<p>

Having a buffet-style assortment was a nice break for the whole family from sushi, ramen, and other traditional Japanese foods. Mondo and Ichirobei were especially glad to have this instead of Rokuna's garlic-heavy recipes. Katsuo never had minded Rokuna's preparations, given that he had spent so many years eating TV dinners; Midori had usually been too drunk to cook for him. Pissed off as he constantly was, though, he was grateful to have this kind of meal for once, and it did lighten up his mood for the time being.

As much as having the center table made them feel honored, being right in the center of the emotional energy everyone was giving off did nothing short of watering the experience down for Rokuna. At least it was mostly positive energy, but the sheer amount of it made her feel drowsy. She did her best to enjoy it while it lasted, but had to take her time eating and then step outside to pull herself back together once she was done.

Mondo had gone to get seconds while Rokuna still muddled not even halfway through her first plate. He was a polite boy and would have waited patiently in line, but everyone else had recognized him and gave him permission to cut in front of them. At such a gesture, he couldn't help but blush, and hesitated before letting himself go ahead.

* * *

><p>A whole hour passed, more than enough time even for those who went back for seconds to eat to their heart's content. Then came the big moment: Mondo, Rokuna, and Ichirobei knew that this was their time to come up on the stage. The girl had already gone outside to clear her head, and she was especially glad to now be in a part of the chamber with less concentrated energy.<p>

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls! May I please have everyone's attention!" McKnight announced, "This is the moment we've all been waiting for! Here are my colleague, Ichirobei Hiragi, and the Children of the Saint Star Dragon, Mondo Ohya and Rokuna Hiragi!" He then stepped aside and let the trio take his place behind the mike as the room burst into cheers and applause.

"Greetings, everyone!" started Ichirobei. "I'm Professor Hiragi, the scientist who discovered the gate to Mon World, and the proud father of one of the Knights!"

"Hey, everyone!" the boy announced. "The name's Mondo! It's so great to see you all here!"

"My name's Rokuna. It's an honor to be up here in front of all of you, but don't be surprised if I need to step outside."

"And without further ado, whoever's got questions, just fire away!" Ichirobei shouted into the mike.

"What were your first experiences in Mon World like?"

"The first place I ever took Mondo and Rockna was in a forest full of flaming trees," said Ichirobei. "They went off to do something, and then Count Collection found me and captured me. I called out to the kids, and they came to my rescue, and then Collection got control of a Chimera. We had to run like hell and thought we were done for when we ran to the edge of a lake, and then a Teppuou came for Mondo and Rockna to merge with. Off course, without my knowledge, none of this would even be possible."

"Yeah, sure, Dad," Rokuna muttered.

"Have you ever met the gods?"

"For whatever reason, we haven't yet," said Rokuna. "We were told about them before leaving Mon World for the last time, though, and I would be interested in meeting them."

"Actually," said Ichirobei, "my wife and I had met Sedra and Bhenq when Rockna and her twin brother Katsuo were born. I wouldn't be surprised if Mondo's parents were visited by two of the other gods upon his birth."

This had raised an eyebrow from both Mondo and Rokuna. Could the same have indeed been true with the boy involving Ceng and Ivedi?

"Do you people really believe in the card game?" Midori said in a really sharp tone.

"How does it feel to merge with a monster?"

"Nothing short of awesome!" said Mondo. "It's like, me and Rockna are the monster!"

"Merging with monsters?" Midori called out. "What the hell is going on? Ichirobei, explain yourself!"

"Please excuse me, I need to speak to my wife personally," said Ichirobei, as he began to walk off the stage and into the audience.

"Which elements do you feel most attuned to?"

"I'm good with fire and wind," answered Mondo.

"I specialize in water and earth magic," said Rokuna.

"How did you get such assets at such a young age?" someone asked Rokuna as a joke. She started growling in response, as if to summon a cartoon physics thunderbolt, but McKnight took the mike that Ichirobei had just left.

"Another question like that, and I will expel whoever asks!" McKnight shouted. "Next question."

"Thanks." said Rokuna.

"Where did you get that Seechee? What's its name?"

"We named her Lovestar," Rokuna answered. "Someone gave it to us as a gift on our second trip to Mon World."

"Speaking of which," said Mondo, "before anyone asks, she's the same girl who gave us that little monkey, which we then named Punch-Punch."

At this point, Ichirobei was on his way back onto the stage.

"What kinds of contests were held in Mon World?" the next person in the audience asked.

"Well let's see," began Ichirobei, who started to count with his fingers. "There was a race in the sky, a triathlon on the beach, a cooking contest, a wrestling tournament, a baseball game, and of course, at least several Monster battles. That makes SEVEN IN ALL!"

"Can you describe what it's like to have a sixth sense?"

"At first, I just felt the emotional energy of monsters that gave it off," said Rokuna. "However, at some point, it extended to humans as well. Around that time, I had to also control the mind of a monster that I got stuck inside, so that it wouldn't kill Mondo before he could save me, and that was also the first time I relayed a message to a human. And then the Time Realm was opened, and I experienced the fear that Mon World's entire population felt. Let me tell you, it's not all fun and games. I can't help but feel everyone's emotional energy around me and while it can feel good when you're around happy people, I have no way of shutting the world out. It wasn't always a problem, but while we were all eating just minutes ago, all your combined auras made me feel very tired and stressed, even though they were positive. Right now, it's not so bad because none of you are talking to one another, which means the energy you're all exchanging isn't so intense."

The questions went on for a while, but eventually came to an end. The Knights and Ichirobei left the mikes, and McKnight went back to the middle one to make further announcements.

"Well, now that we're all done with questioning, let me make it known that I have asked our guests to come here for a special occasion," said McKnight. "As of tonight, I have chosen ten more Knights who will fight directly alongside them once the gates reopen." He paused for a few moments, and then continued. "First thing's first, I'm sure most of you are already familiar with my daughter. Kasumi, please come up on the stage."  
>The chocolate-skinned, pigtailed girl made her way up and to the microphone.<p>

"That's me!" she said. "Can't wait to see what Dad has in store for us!"

McKnight then continued.

"Thank you. Next, will Rokuna's brother Katsuo please come up!" A few moments went by as he and Midori set foot onto the stage, the latter of whom had a thoroughly irritated expression.

"All right, listen up!" the pale-skinned boy said. "As long as I'm being told to fight along with you assholes, nobody had better give me any shit! I'm talking to all of you, but especially you girls out there! Whatever tricks you got up your sleeves, either they stay there, or you can all suck my goddamn cock!"

For the next few moments, everyone was silent. And then McKnight broke the ice.

"Please excuse him," said the black man. "Will the following members please come up! Drake Bolak!"

A boy with messy black hair, thin muscles, and gray eyes came up as the entire audience gave a round of applause. He wore a sleeveless and legless gray one-piece outfit, complete with a set of white paddings on his arms and legs.

"Was that really called for?" said the boy to Katsuo, shooting a glare at him as he made his way onto the stage, before shaking McKnight's hand.

"Elena Hatch!" called McKnight.

Another burst of cheers and clapping ensued as a top-notched, green-eyed blonde girl came up from the audience. She wore a white tank top, a blue-jean skirt, and some gold bracelets and necklaces, one of the latter which was her first name in a script font. A tiny fang could also be spotted in the corner of her mouth when it was open.

No sooner had she come onto the stage did Mondo spew some words of infatuation. This made both her and Drake feel funny, while Rokuna growled his name and reeled her arm backwards to punch him. However, she never did get to land this one; Katsuo had wrapped his arms around her neck, holding her body close to his to prevent her from elbowing him in the stomach.

"All right, both of you stop!" said McKnight. "We do not need a scene up here, thank you."

"Derek Ledger!"

Up came a boy with glasses, braces, and short brown hair. His outfit consisted of blue jeans and a red shirt with a collar.

"Anneth Mackenzie!"

Came a blue-eyed girl who wore braces, a white t-shirt, and a pleated, light-blue mini-skirt. Her brown hair came down slightly below her shoulders in a curtain, but was kept behind her ears by a ribbon, which was tied in a huge bow spanning the top of her head.

"Kevin Mandery!"

A blonde-haired boy who wore glasses, a red shirt, and tan shorts walked up onto the stage.

"Attiya Muqsit!"

This one was an olive-skinned girl who wore a shoulder-length black ponytail, a white t-shirt, and black track shorts.

"Jamison Russell!"

A boy with light-brown skin and tidy, black hair, clad in a green t-shirt and brown shorts, came onto the stage.

"And Rachael Theune!"

This final candidate was a short-haired, blue-eyed blonde girl, wearing glasses, a thin plastic pink headband, a pink t-shirt, and blue-jean shorts. Anneth cheered along with the audience, and ran over to hug her friend in ecstasy the second she came up on stage.

"Thank you, everyone! Now if you'd all follow me, we will begin." All twelve children and the Hiragi parents followed him out of the room, and all manner of conversation ensued amongst one another. Katsuo kept as far away from any of the girls as possible.

"Mondo," said Drake. "Mind not flirting with anyone again? Some of us don't want to hear such lame crap like that."

"Don't mind him," Rokuna said to Drake. "He's lucky to have someone who will stand by him no matter how many times he steps out of line.

The boy blushed in embarrassment, unable to talk back to either of them.

"Come to think of it, though, I did sense Kasumi hitting up particularly on him when we got here." She then walked over to the pigtailed Negro. "Kasumi! Mondo is mine, and no one else's, unless you want a lightning strike too!"

"Gee, aren't you touchy!" said the black girl.

Elsewhere in the building was stone double door with a Rokumon symbol on it. McKnight stood in front of it, and the doors slid open.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's notes: <strong>If you haven't already, be sure to check out my userpage for links to stuff related to this. For those of you who've read any of my other fics, some stuff in BIG Date and With Them You Can Do It has been deemed non-canon (such as the group of 24 Knights and the war that was to take place in this fic). The events in Rockna and a Hard Place will likely not happen at all, but Takeshi might or might not still be involved in Part II of this ficseries. Playing this by ear once I discuss the overall plot of the ficseries with Yincira.


	2. Prologue, part II

**Author's notes: **Just uploaded this in response to someone who commented on my DeviantArt userpage about the character figures that Yincira had drawn for me. For at least a few weeks now, I've been awaiting a refined version of the entire prologue from my other friend Jake (after Yincira revoked her offer for such for certain reasons), but he has been unable to get around to writing it. So, I'll give him until after the holidays before I bring it up again with him.

Also, before anyone asks, Kevin is actually going to be replaced by someone else (see the aforementioned pic to see who). Exactly what happens to him will be explained in the first main chapter of this fic (that being the next chapter after this).

* * *

><p>Inside the now-unsealed chamber were eight circular, color-coded tiles with different markings, arranged in an octagon, with four more tiles arranged in a square within the other eight.<p>

McKnight turned around to face his followers, drew a set of index cards, and distributed them as the doors shut themselves again. Each child could tell which tile was theirs to stand on by looking at the color on their card. Mondo and Rokuna stood on the two tiles opposite side from the door, Mondo's red and bearing a flame symbol, Rokuna's pink with a sun symbol.

From Mondo's tile around to Rokuna's, Kevin had occupied an orange tile with a few mountains, Jamison on a yellow tile with a thunderbolt, Elena on a green tile with a leaf, Rachael on a light-blue tile with a snowflake, Attiya on a dark-blue tile with a water drop, and Katsuo on a purple tile with a crescent moon. The four tiles in the center were silver with an infinity symbol, black with a pick and sledgehammer, golden with a Rokumon, and white with some wind lines. These were occupied by Kasumi, Drake, Derek, and Anneth respectively.

The Knights easily figured that they were all supposed to face the center, where McKnight now stood. McKnight himself had faced the general direction of Mondo and Rokuna, before chanting:

"Receive the blessing of light goddess Gasejo."

The Knights felt some weird sensation for the next few moments, but it quickly wore off. Midori was still betting this whole thing was a sham, and so was Katsuo even after having felt the strange something himself.

"What had just happened was that you all received the superhuman strength and agility that Mondo and Rokuna had already possessed since birth. In order to make productive use of the time we will continue to remain in Man World, each of you will receive a weapon to begin practicing with."

With that all said, he walked over to Kevin first.

"Wielder of the Gloves: Kevin. Receive now, the Diamond Gauntlets."

Two small orbs of light appeared, enveloped the blonde boy's hands, and then transformed into a pair of gloves coated in diamond.

"The fuck!" said Katsuo, while Midori shrieked in fear. If nothing before this was enough to convince them of the existence of magic, this certainly was. The other children couldn't help but glance at such a distraction, before McKnight continued the ritual and walked over to Jamison.

"Wielder of the Saw: Jamison. Receive now, the Voltslicer."

Before the brown-skinned boy appeared an orb of light, which became... a chainsaw. The boy held the handle and brought it out of its airborne state.

"Now, I cannot stress this enough! When this is on, there is much more risk of injuring a non-target or even yourself with a simple touch. Be careful with it!" He then moved on.

"Wielder of the Whip: Elena. Receive now, the Thorn Whip."

Before the top-notched yaeba girl appeared a thorn-covered vine neatly looped up.

"Wielder of the Rings: Rachael. Receive now, the Arctic Haloes."

A pair of metallic, hula-hoop-like objects appeared in front of the blonde meganekko. They were a light shade of blue, not from paint, but from some kind of process known only in Mon World.

"Wielder of the Knife: Attiya. Receive now, the Scale Dagger."

A knife with a curved, five-inch blade appeared before the olive-skinned girl. The blade was a dark shade of blue, colored from the same mysterious process as the Arctic Haloes.

"Wielder of the Gun: Katsuo. Receive now, the Menacer."

A large pistol appeared in front of him. It had an extension coming down from the middle, indicating it to be a semi-automatic, and a tiny laser scope could be noticed above the front end.

"Let me warn you that this is a semi-automatic weapon, and there is a lot you absolutely must know about handling it. I will send someone to your home tomorrow to teach you how to use this."

Katsuo nodded absently and took the weapon. When he had seen the rest of the children receive their weapons, he could still tell himself it was some sort of trick. But now he had it in his hand, there was no denying. It was real, and he didn't quite know yet whether to like it or not ... though he was inclined towards the former.

The man then faced Mondo and Rokuna.

"You two are being saved for last. Reasons go without saying." He then moved towards the Knights on the middle tiles.

"Wielder of the Hammer: Drake. Receive now, the Metal Impact."

In front of him appeared a long-handled hammer with a large head. Each end of the head had multiple rhombus-shaped faces almost converging into a cone, but ending instead with a flat, multi-sided face for the tip.

McKnight turned a full 180 degrees around, and faced the Knight standing on the white tile.

"Wielder of the Flag: Anneth. Receive now, the Gale Flag."

Before the brunette girl appeared a sky-blue flag which showed some silver curved lines converging into the center.

"Just to let you know, the tip of the pole contains a retractable blade which you can draw out by tapping the pole on the floor. Try it."

A slight tap was enough for the blade to shoot out with a slight sound.

"Now, just pull this mechanism down to re-sheath the blade." The man pointed to a small handle near the top, which the girl then slid down. He then turned around 90 degrees to his right.

"Wielder of the Watch: Kasumi. Receive now, the Eternus."

In front of the Negro girl appeared a silver, old-fashioned pocket watch on a small chain. The girl picked this out of the air, and the man made another 180-degree turn.

"Wielder of the Shield: Derek. Receive now, the Star Shield."

In front of the brunette boy appeared a circular, golden shield depicting a Rokumon. The boy slid his right arm through two rungs on the inner side, bringing it out of its state of anti-gravity. The man finally walked towards Mondo and Rokuna's general direction.

_Mondo,_ said the girl telepathically. _Let's end this on a dramatic note. Whaddya think?_

The boy nodded.

"Children of the Saint Star Dragon. Respective Wielders of the Sword and the Staff: Mondo Ohya and Rokuna Hiragi. Receive now, the Excalibur and the Acolyte."

Before Mondo appeared a five-foot-bladed broadsword with a short, straight bridge between the hilt and the blade.

Before Rokuna appeared a scepter of length equal to her height, with a metallic pink handle, a blunt, ivory-colored tip on the end pointing to the floor, and an ivory-colored Rokumon on the end pointing upwards.

As soon as the two of them got a hold of these weapons, Mondo slashed the air in front of him one horizontal time, and then planted the Excalibur's tip on the floor; Rokuna swiftly turned the Acolyte sideways, brought the tip 90 degrees around herself, and pointed the Rokumon forward. All of this was done in one fluid motion.

"All right, then. Everyone please gather near the door." The Knights complied, and of course, Mondo and Rokuna were seated in the center in front of the group. They were all finally allowed to sit down and give their legs a rest; this chamber had only been entered for the first time since the building's completion, so the floor was obviously clean. Any weapons that couldn't be sheathed or holstered were allowed to simply rest on the floor.

"From the very beginning, you should all have been familiar with the six primary elements of magic. However, there is much more detail to go into about elements. The pattern you all noticed upon entering this chamber is a representation of twelve elements in total, which are represented by both a color and a gemstone. Who here would like to explain the latter of those two? Elena?"

"Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Peridot, Amethyst, Garnet, Turquoise, Aquamarine, Opal, Topaz, Diamond, and Pearl," said the blonde girl. "To us, they're called birthstones, because they each represent a month and correlate to anyone born on their respective month. While they only have symbolic purposes to people in Man World, they're as fundamental to people's lives in Mon World as computer chips are to us."

"Thank you," said McKnight. "For these, a sample of each stone was converted into a powdered form, to be used as a component for the weapons you have all just received.

"Moving on, the difference between root elements and magical affinities needs to be explained as well in order to understand the big picture. While affinities are the types of magic one finds oneself particularly good at using naturally, root elements are those that you are born with or can receive under certain circumstances, often based on your species, and that is what's particularly relevant here. For those of you who weren't born with a root element, I enabled one or two to form within you. I do not get to choose which ones you have, though, and for that reason, I actually had three more members on reserve in case Mondo, Rokuna, and Katsuo acquired different elements than what they got only several hours ago.

"Most monster species are limited in possibilities for root elements, but this is not the case with human beings. Humans can have one, two, or none of any of eight elements as their root elements, but not more than two; to have more than two root elements is impossible with any monster regardless of species. Mondo?"

"I knew that Time was the seventh element, but eight of them?" inquired the spiky-haired boy.

"The remaining one is Space, the balance of the primary six. That is why Mon World's holy symbol is the symbolic shape of a star: Each primary element is represented by one of the spikes, Time is represented by the inner particle, and Space is represented by the ring.

"There are eight singular elements in all, and four useful elements combined each from two non-conflicting cardinal elements. Mondo's sole root element is Fire, Attiya's is Water, Kevin has Earth, Wind is Anneth's element, Rokuna and Katsuo have Holy and Demon respectively, Kasumi with Time, and Derek with the aforementioned Space. Drake has Fire and Earth as his root elements, which combine to form Metal. Jamison's root elements are Fire and Wind, which become Storm. Rachael has Water and Wind, which become Frost. And finally, Elena's root elements, Water and Earth, would normally become Bog, but the powers she will be wielding are a special case which I will get around to explaining. The elements of Light and Darkness do not combine with other elements to create new ones, but instead allow them to take on their properties. Conflicting cardinal elements cannot combine into anything useful. Fire and Water only become Vapor, and Earth and Wind into Dust. Holy and Demon, on the other hand, become a stronger but unnamed element. Time and Space cannot combine at all with other elements, hence why they are not counted as primary elements.

"This is where your weapons come in: Each of them contains powers of a standalone or hybrid element. While affinities come from within the self, and while the weapons can be wielded physically by anyone with enough skill, making use of the powers contained within a given weapon requires your root elements to match theirs exactly. For example, Drake can only harness the powers of the Metal Impact with his combination; he is no more viable for the Excalibur, the Diamond Gauntlets, or any other weapon than Mondo, Kevin, or anyone else is for the Metal Impact. Whichever weapon you were given is yours and yours only.

"Now, Elena, the reason you are a special case is because you will be in charge of restoring any ecosystems that might get destroyed during a fight. While most of your weapons were either forged, or in the case of the mechanical ones, disassembled and reassembled from something, the Thorn Whip was something I had the Songstress of the Green Wind helped me create. And yes," he nodded at Mondo and Rokuna, "that would be the one you two know as Kahimi. She is one of the few beings capable of utilizing plant-based magic, for which the "code", if you will, can only be written into something organic. Elena, this means that when we begin venturing into Mon World, she will help you learn how to control the Green Wind and utilize plants.

"And now, I would like someone to come up as and re-explain all the main points. Rokuna, would you be honored to come up with your weapon?"

The green-haired girl got up with the staff, and walked up to the side of her instructor, before facing the other Knights and speaking.

"If I understood what McKnight-sama is saying, while I already my magical affinities to be Water and Earth, my root element since meeting him for the first time is now Holy. So, along with being able to fight with a better weapon than my Knight Loop, the powers I will use through the Acolyte will be holy magic, but I will still be able to use aquatic and earthen magic even without it. So, root elements are channeled through the weapon, and affinities come from within yourself. Am I right?"

"Correct," the man answered. "You may sit back down now. Thank you."

The girl went back to sit beside Mondo.

"Finally, _no one is to threaten or harm innocent people with those!_ They are for combat or defensive purposes only! Anyone who points these at other people, except to defend themselves or others, will lose access to them, and I will expel you from the cult! Am I clear?"

Each of the children nodded or said yes.

"Thank you! From now on, those of you under my supervision will be coached more than daily with your weapons. Mondo, Rokuna, Katsuo, I expect each of you to have some skill with your weapons, depending on when the Gates reopen. Half an hour of practice with them each day, at the very least. Preferably a lot more if you can manage."

"You can count on me!" replied Mondo, as he and Rokuna both saluted.

"I won't let you down!" said Rokuna.

"Got it," said Katsuo, simply nodding.

"Thank you," said McKnight. "Now, let's all head back to the main chamber."

Everyone was about to leave, but then Rokuna and Ichirobei noticed Midori. Ichirobei tried coaxing her to come along, to no avail.

"Mom? Mom, are you alright?" Rokuna said.

"Did ... those ... I'm still drunk, right? That stuff appearing out of thin air... that was an optical illusion, right?"

Rokuna stepped forth and took her mother's hand, gently laying her staff down in it horizontally.

For a second Midori held the weapon, its weight pressing down on her hands and indisputably proving its reality.

_Mom, it's real_, Rokuna telepathically told her mother. _It is all real, the monsters, the other universe, the magic, and my sixth sense.  
><em>  
>Midori dropped the weapon and edged against the wall.<p>

"I'm still drunk," she muttered a few times, till suddenly breaking into a run. Out the door she went with a high shriek.

"Yikes. I hope she doesn't turn out to be magicophobic," Mondo said.

"Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad. Look what I got!" said Elena as she and her fellow Knights came back.

"What is it?" the girl's mother asked.

"Tadadada da-daaaaa!" she said as she held up the still coiled Thorn Whip.

The rest of the kids also showed their respective families the weapons they had been given not too long ago, before regrouping with the Hiragi family and Mondo in the center of the chamber.

Shortly after the Knights all regrouped at the center of the chamber, a loud voice filled the entire room.

"All right, everyone! Let's get ready to PAAAARRRRR-TAAAAYYYY!"

No sooner had the DJ finished that sentence did the Spice Girls song Wannabe start playing.

"Oh, god…" muttered a facepalming Katsuo.

Rokuna started to feel everyone's energy come onto her, but it wasn't enough to overwhelm her yet. Meanwhile, Mondo began to say something to everyone else.

"Well, guys. Here's to congratulate you all for your new status. Who wants Pocky?" he said as he took out two boxes of what could only be described as chocolate candy sticks and held them up in the air.

"Pocky?" asked Rokuna. "You had that on you this whole time?"

"Bought it with my allowance. I was originally gonna share them with you and Katsuo."

"Hey, can my friend here have some as well?" Rachael asked as he distributed them.

"Sure!" said Mondo. Even though he mainly intended to give them to those appointed by McKnight, he wasn't one to outright deny anything to anyone without a good reason.

"Thanks!" the girl said.

"Thanks for that," said the boy at Anneth's side as he took one of the candy sticks. "I'm Anneth's brother, Willis."

Mondo raised an eyebrow and muttered, "Huh? But she just said —"

"Oh, it's more of a really close bond, they just see each other as brother and sister," said Anneth with a short laugh. "And they take it very serious."

Rokuna had to smile at a certain memory. "I've got something a little like that with Kenta, this adorable little centaur boy I met in the Wind Realm. Kenta was his name, such a cutie! I hope he's doing okay."

"Speaking of monsters, any of you got any favorites? asked Mondo. "Mine's the Fire Dragon."

"I like the fairies," said Rokuna.

"Oh, mine's the Black Tango Cat!" Rachael said, raising her hands to mimic a cat.

Anneth tilted her head, seeming to think for a moment, then said, "I never really could decide, but that Seechee sure looks cute. Definitely a contestant."

Willis pulled out a card from his pocket and showed it to the group. "The Amethyst Dragon!"

"I need to step outside now," said Rokuna as the sea of energy got to her.

"I'll come with you," said Katsuo, who had been sitting at a nearby table. "Something I need to bring up with you anyway."

Into the halls they stepped. She knew where she was going and why, and didn't need to ask McKnight for directions. Her sixth sense was enough to guide her.

"I've actually been waiting to bring this up when we go back home," he began. "But, what you did to Mondo when we got here…"

"What about it?" the girl asked.

"I should've known. You're not better than any of the girls I've known here. They're all the same."

"How would you feel if someone you had such an intimate relationship with—"

"Oh don't gimme that shit! That just gives me all the more reason to avoid girls in the first place."

A few moments of silence went by between the two of them, before he continued.

"So, what else do you do to him, huh? Try to coerce him into doing what you want?"

"Go ask him. He'll tell you that I don't do anything to him that whoever you've known has done to you."

"Sure you don't. Let me say one thing: _Friends! Don't! Fucking! Hurt each other!"_

"You're hurting me right now," she growled. "Shut up now before I lose it on you!"

Some moments went by in silence as they walked still, before she continued.

"You do know that hurting someone doesn't have to be physical, right?"

"Starting tonight, we're not friends, so whatever."

The party continued for the next few hours. Rokuna had come back with Kevin, who had been previously trying out the Diamond Gauntlets on a punching bag in a gym somewhere. Katsuo came back separately some time afterwards. The Knights, other kids their age, and the families of those kids had spent that time dancing, eating, making small talk, and doing other stuff to enjoy this special night. Mondo and Rokuna had made a point of exchanging email addresses with their new friends in order to stay in touch with them when the party began to end, before going to speak with McKnight one last time.

"So, thanks for inviting us here," said Rokuna to McKnight, after the party ended.

"Yeah! Thanks for those weapons you gave us." said Mondo. "I am so looking forward to seeing you all again!"

"Looking forward to seeing you again as well," said McKnight.

"Thanks for that gun," said Katsuo.

"Well, till we meet again", said Hiragi, before the entire Hiragi family and Mondo headed out the door.

"So, you did turn off that game, right?" Mondo asked Katsuo, while they headed back home in the Stove Dragon.

The other boy could only gasp in response. "Forgot all about that!"

"I wouldn't worry about it. I know someone who once played something for _four days_ without ever turning it off."


End file.
